Air conditioning apparatus



Dec. 1, 1936. B; GRADY I 2,062,413

' AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1934 INVENTOR:

BY mmrK yrcwwn A TTORNEYS FROM our- 0/-'-000R Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE- AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Charles B. Grady. West Orange, N. J. Application June 29, 1934, Serial No. 732,958 '1 Claims. $61. 261-92) This invention relates to air conditioning apparatus, adapted for the treatment of air in one or more of the following respects, namely filtering it, controlling its temperature or cooling it, washing it and controlling its moisture or humidifying it and medicating it; and some of the principles hereof may be useful for the treatment of gases other than air. In some aspects a new method is involved.

The apparatus of this invention is useful for example for the conditioning of air in dwelling or other rooms, individually or in groups. As specifically herein shown the apparatus is especially of utility in summer to cool, wash and filter and to humidify or dehumidify the air of closed rooms, such as sleeping rooms occupied for example by persons subject to hay fever, pollen asthma and similar afilictions. The great value of this treatment and apparatus for such patients is that while indoors, especially through each night, extensive recovery from the trouble may be affected and the resistance built up to such high point that a reasonable amount of subsequent daily outdoor exposure to the pollen and other condisummer.

tions, and even strenuous exercise and exertion, may be had withouttroublesome efiect. The apparatus however is universal in its adaptation to advantageous use in winter by changes in operation and control.

I have already shown gas treating or air conditioning apparatuses in several copending applications. Serial Nos. 630,175 filed August 24, 1932, (issued asU. S. Patent No. 2,004,108 on June 11, 1935) 652,251 filed January 18, 1933, (issued as U. S. Patent No. 2,013,270 on September 3, 1935) and 713,086 filed February 27, 1934, to which reference may be had for various details not herein fully disclosed; and the present invention may be considered as an improvement on the apparatuses of said prior applications.

For the purposes thus outlined the objects of the present invention are to afford a practical, compact, quiet and relatively inexpensive apparatus adapted for use in dwellings and elsewhere for the conditioning of air in closed rooms in an emcient and economical manner. Another object is to render it convenient in. operation and regulation and readily adaptable to use in winter or Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be explained in the hereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention or will be apparent to' those conversant with the subject.

To the attainment of such objects and advantages the present invention consists in the novel air conditioning apparatus and the novel features of combination, arrangement and construction herein described or illustrated.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation, largely in longitudinal vertical section, of an air conditioning apparatus embodying the features of the present improvement.

Fig. 2 is a vertical'transverse section along the described serve as a cover to the main or lower enclosure. The lower part of the enclosure l0 constitutes a water vessel l 6 and this is filled with water up to the water line H. In summer for example the water may be maintained or supplied at 'a temperature in the' neighborhood of 42 to 55 F., and it may be resupplied or its temperature controlled in the hereinafter described manner or otherwise. In the wall I2 is shown an air inlet opening or port IQ, for indoor air from the room the air of which is being. conditioned. At the inlet end in the cover wall is shown a second inlet'port 20, the purpose of which will be hereinbelow described. In the left end wall I3 is an outlet or port 2| delivering conditioned air into the room. By these ports room air is circulated throughthe apparatus and back into the room. A damper may be provided at the outlet port if desired to afford control of the air delivery and recirculation. 1

Preferably the air is driven'through the enclosure, and there is shown, upon a cross brace 24, a motor 25 driving an air blower or other fan 26,,so that the air received at the inlets l9 and 20 is forced through the enclosure.

In order to cause a reaction between the forced air and the water within the enclosure the air is shown as passing through a casing 28 constituted of a wall enclosing an air passage, at the initial or right end of which is located the fan 26. The wall 28 slants downwardly so that the air passage converges-,giving accentuated speed of flow. The wall 28 preferably extends below the water level "and its submerged portion 29 may take any convenient shape, the wall portion above the water and the surface of the water enclosing the air passage. The air passage is continued leftward by reason of an arched baffle or wall 30 which may causing the movement of the blades.

be mounted upon and dependent from the cover plate [5,. this also having a portion 3| submerged below the water level.

In the air passage defined by the wall 28 and baffle 38 is mounted a rotary element or wheel 32 which may take part in the washing of the advancing air and the controlling of its temperature and humidity; The wheel 32, as in said prior applications, preferably rotates transversely to the direction of air flow, and may turn' at a slow but steady speed by the action of the air traveling through the passage. For this purpose the blades 33 of the rotary element are inclined so as to act ,as propeller blades, the traveling air Each blade in turn effects treatment of the air, becoming first submerged, wetted and cooled and thereafter traveling through the air passage so as to act upon the advancing air in the manner described. The partly submerged wheel 32 is shown as having a shaft 34 which turns in the center part of a bracket or bar .35 which for example may be mounted transversely across the right side of the arched baiile 38. V

By way of adapting the apparatus to winter use, means arranged'for heating the water in vessel I6 is shown, operating like that in application No. 652,251 but here consisting of a heating coil 36, for example for steam. The heated water acts to humidify and warm the air passed through the unit as is desirable in winter. An immersed electrical heater would equally serve the purpose, or in some cases water might be heated in the auxiliary tank to be described for automatic circulation into the vessel 16; or, with air conditioning carried on the warming of the room air might economically be effected by independent electric or other heating means. For winter use, when outdoor temperatures may fall below 32, the auxiliary cooling means to be described may be rendered inoperative, for example by draining the same and the vessel l 6, as by a drain cock at the bottom of vessel l6, and the pipes 39 .and 46 closed'by applying caps 42 thereon, shown removed, and refilling the vessel I6.

In order to maintain at approximately any desired temperature the water within the vessel I6,

say between 42 and 55 in summer, there is shown,

in Fig. 2 an auxiliary arrangement preferably located outside of the room under treatment. Thus the enclosure I8 is shown at the inner side of" a room wall 31 while the parts to be described may be located outside thereof. These include a separate vessel or tank 38 in which water may stand at the level I1 and may be cooled artificially. A pipe 38 is shown passing through the wall 31 and conducting relatively less cool water from the vessel Hi to the tank 38, while at a lower level a second pipe 40 conducts the relatively cooler water from the tank 38 back to the vessel l6. By cooling the water in the auxiliary tank, or supplying cool water to it gravity will operate to cause an interfiow, or automatic circulation, the cool water entering the vessel so as to preserve its cooltemperature, the warmer water flowing back into the vent escape of refrigerant into the room atmosphere. A protective outside housingjl is shown ventilated by louvers-IB. Insteadof a tankfor I each room a single tank may serve severalrooms, gravity cirand properly arranged to such air through both connected as descried for automatic culation of cool water to each.

The described arrangement for cooling or refreshing the cool water in the vessel I6 is not always necessary, since the vessel may be supplied at will with very cool water, and the effect thereof may continue for many hours; but when the weather is very warm or humid the described arrangements avoid the necessity of frequent attention and change of water in the vessel.

Within the tank 38 is shown a cooling or temperature controlling means, in the form of a coil 43, representative of any means of lowering the temperature of the water in the tank. For example the coil may be supplied with sulfur dioxide, or other refrigerant, or a refrigerated fluid as brine. There is shown an inlet pipe 42 from a refrigerating apparatus or other source to the tank and an outlet or return pipe 45 from the tank. Manifestly the temperature conditions within the tank 38, and therefore within the vessel I6, may be controlled thermostatically in any well known manner; and similarly there may be hygrostatic control from the condition of the room air in manner well known.

Having described air washing means, and control of its humidity and temperature there will next be described a cooperative means of filtering the air passed through, the apparatus.

In my said prior applications I have indicated in the air path a simple wire mesh, having a certain straining effect on-the treated air; and it has been heretofore well known to force air manifestly the latter may be omitted and theformer served as the topwall of the enclosure.

The bottom wall 5| of the housing 58 is shown as formed with an outlet or port 52 registering with the inlet 20 of the enclosure l6 so as to admit filtered air from the housing to the enclosure. The housing is shown as having a top wall 54 and side and end walls. In the top wall at the left end is an inlet or port 55 to which extends an air duct 56 leading from an outdoor point, so as systematically to draw a certain proportion of outdoor air into the room, under control of a damper 5'! adjustable in the duct 56L Preferably also the duct 56 contains an indoor opening controlled by a damper 58, so as to take air from the room and so modify the draft of outdoor air through the duct.

In order that the air entering the housing 58 by the port 55 and leaving it by the port 52 may be filtered the interior of the housing is shown as divided by a partition wall 68 into an inlet compartment 6| and an outlet compartment 62. For maintaining air flow through the housing and filter a fan is desirable, and it may be near either -end of the air passage, preferably at the inlet end. Thus, mounted in an opening in the partition wall is a cylindrical fan casing wall 64 in which is located an air driving fan 65 operated by a motor 66 mounted on a cross bracket 61. This, arrangement serves forcibly to draw air in through port 55 and drive it through the filtering element and thence downwardly into the enclosure "1.. By employing a fan 26 inlets l9 and 20, a separate filter fan may be unnecessary.

The filter element 10 may be composed of any desired material or layer which is pervious to air but operates to obstruct the passage of solids and thus strain and remove them from the air.

Thus the filter may be composed of a suitable fabric such as Australian wool matted or felted into the proper shape. It may contain chemicals .10 to remove acid or other non-solid constituents.

Instead of a fiat sheet of filtering material the filter I0 is shown as of enlarged,chambered or cylindrical form, preferably open at but one end, and enclosing a filter chamber, thus presenting 1 a very large surface for the passage of air from within the filter chamber to the compartment 62, and minimizing-the need of interchange or cleaning of the filter element. In order to hold the filter element in the cylindrical or chambered form shown, it is mounted upon a light but stiff wire cage ll constituting a supporting bracket; and the filter element and the wire cage are shown both attached to a circular flange 12 outstanding from the partition wall 60.

The operation, which has been indicated, may

be explained further as follows.

and the tank 38 may each be assumed to hold a substantial quantity of water, as 50 gallons or to be connected with cooling or refrigerating means tending to cool the water to a point substantially below 50, or nearly to 40. The refrigerating of the tank need not be continuous but may be discontinued before retiring, the existing coolness of the water serving to carry the action through the sleeping period of the night. The cool water in the tank passes through pipe into the vessel by automatic gravity cir- 40 culation, the warmer water in the vessel passing back by pipe 39 into the tank. This gravity circulation between vessel and tank is cooperative with a local circulation within the vessel pro duced by the rotation of the partially submerged air treating rotary element or wheel 32, the wheel being turned by the forcible flow of air above the water level, and the turning of the wheel gently propelling the water within the vessel, so

as constantly to bring fresh water to the point of submergence. These two automatic circulation operations cooperate to the improvement of efliciency, the pipe 40 bringing fresh cool water into the path of the current leading to the rotary element 32, and the water passing from the rotary element traveling toward the pipe 39 with recirculated indoor air, either before filtering or afterward, or both as shown. The air is caused to pass through the filtering layer removing pollen and other solids and constituents,

' passing thence intocompartment 62 and down- 65 wardly into the inlet end of enclosure Ill. The fan within the enclosure draws air not only through the filtering-apparatus, including a proportion of outdoor air, but through the main .air inlet IQ for recirculation. The adaptability of the apparatus permits any desired regulation as to recirculation of room air and the steady supplementing thereof with a percentage of outdoor air, the progressive increase in total air thereby maintaining a slight pressure within the room causing the surplus air to find its wayout natu- The vessel It and 40 for summer use. The tank also is assumed rally and preventing eventual staleness. The

slight pressure maintained in the room is of great advantage in preventing infiltration of outside air carrying dust, pollen, etc.

' Within the enclosure the air is not only washed 5 by passing through the rotary element or wheel 32, but is modified to the most suitable temperature and is controlled as to its humidity, being either humidified if too dry, or dehumidified if too moist. By including suitable liquid ingrei0 dients in the vessel water, as pine needleoil, the air may be suitably medicated or perfumed. From the outlet 2| the filter washed and temperature and humidity regulated air is delivered gently into the room tending to maintain a slow circu- 15 lation similar to a light breeze to the advantage of the air condition in the room.

In winter time the auxiliary tank 38 may be put out of operation as described and the water within the vessel It may be heated as described 20 to warm and humidity the room air. The volumes of the water vessels l6 and the tank 38 and the depths of water therein'may be varied to suit the particular conditions in hand; and each room 7 may be maintained at the temperature and hu- 25 midity best suited to the occupant.

The principles of the described apparatus are well adapted for air conditioning in a closed automobile, permitting a hay fever patient to travel in comfort even through a heavily pollen-laden 30 3 atmosphere. The water vessel with rotary element and the water tank with cooling means are preferably located outside the rear end of the body, delivering the conditioned air into the upper part of the enclosed space. door air may be drawn from a point near the top of the vehicle and passed thence into the air conditioning .vessel above the water therein, and cooled to the proper temperature by circulation "from the adjacent tank. The outdoor air-may be 40 combined with inside air recirculated from the car, the two being mixed before passing through the conditioning unit, and the conditioned mixture is gently forced into the car near the upper rear comer.

Having described an illustrative air condition-. ing apparatus embodying the principles of the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the features of combination, arrangement and construction as illus- 50 trated and described, but covers broadly the features of apparatus and method without restriction except to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

1. For a sleeping room, an air conditioning 55 machine'located in said room comprising an enclosure with a water vessel and a fan therein,

a partly submerged wheel rotatable in said enclosure, a casing enclosing an air passage occupied by the unsubmerged portion of said wheel, 60

an air inlet for receiving air directly from said room, an air outlet delivering air to said room, a filter housing containing a second fan and a filter, with damper controlled air intakes from outdoors and indoors to said filter, an air outlet 65 from said filter housing for delivering air to said enclosure, a cold water tank located in a housing separated from said enclosure, and having a vent delivering outside said room, circulating pipes connecting the upper and lower portions of said 70 tank and vessel, and a refrigerating coil in said cold water tank.

Fresh and clean out- 35 air flow through the enclosure and a movable means or wheel alternately entering the water vessel and the air passage for causing treatment of the air stream by the water, such apparatus comprising in combination therewith a separate water tank for water of different or lower tem-- perature than that in the vessel, and high and low water connections between the tank and vessel for circulation as between the vessel and tank and thereby control of the water temperature in the vessel; together with a filter housing containing an air filter and having an independent air propelling means, a 'duct for supplying restricted outdoor air to the filter, and a port delivering the filtered air to the enclosure.

3. An air conditioning apparatus of the kind having an enclosure containing a water vessel and thereabove an air passage for air fiow through the enclosure and a movable means alternately entering the water vessel and the air passage for causing treatment of the air stream by the water,

such apparatus comprising in combination there with a supplemental water tank having means for controlling the temperature of the water therein, and circulation connections between the tank and vessel for interfiow of water between them, the water having the same level in said tank and vessel, a filter housing separate from the enclosure and with an outlet port delivering to the enclosure, a partition dividing the housing into inlet and outlet compartments, and supporting a filter, an outdoor air duct leading to the inlet compartment, with damper means to control the rate of outdoor air intake, and two separate air forcing means one for causing continuous air fiow through the filter housing and the other in the enclosure.

4. An air conditioning apparatus of the kind having an enclosure containing a water vessel and thereabove an air passage for air flow through the enclosure and a movable means or wheel alternately entering the water vessel and the air passage for causing treatment of the air stream by the water, such apparatus comprising in combination therewith means for controlling the temperature of the water in the vessel, a filter housing separate from the enclosure and with an outlet port delivering to the enclosure, a partition dividing the housing into inlet and outlet compartments, and supporting a filter, an outdoor air duct leading to the inlet compartment, with damper means to control the rate of outdoor air intake, and air forcing means for causing the air passage for causing treatment of the airstream by the water, such apparatus comprising in combination therewith means for controlling the temperature of the water in the vessel, a filter housing separate from the enclosure and with a port delivering therefrom to the enclosure, the enclosure having also a direct indoor air inlet, a partition dividing the housing into inlet and outlet compartments, and supporting a filter, an outdoor air duct leading to the inlet compartment, with damper means to control the rate of outdoor air intake, and air forcing means for causing continuous air flow through the filter housing enclosure.

6. pparatus as in claim 5 and wherein the housing inlet compartment has not only an outdoor air inlet but an indoor air inlet.

7. An air conditioning apparatus of the kind having an enclosure containing a water vessel and thereabove an air passage for air flow through the enclosure and a movable means or wheel alternately entering the water vessel and the air passage for causing treatment of the air stream by the water, such apparatus comprising in combination therewith means for controlling the temperature of the water in the vessel, afilter housing separate from the enclosure and with an outlet port delivering to the enclosure. a partition dividing the housing into inlet and outlet compartments, and supporting a filter, an outdoor air duct leading to the inlet compartment, with damper means to control the rate of outdoor air intake, and air forcing means for causing continuous air fiow through the filter housing and enclosure; the filter housing resting removably upon the enclosure with its outlet end above the inlet end of the enclosure.

CHARLES B. GRADY.- 

